Device for thawing ice from pipes



(No Model!) I. H. SIMPSON. DEVICE FOR THAWING ICE PROM PIPES.

Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

' BY% MI I v ATTORNEYS UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAIAH H. SIMPSON, OF BRUNSVICK, MAINE.

DEVICE FOR THAWING ICE FROM PIPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent.N 'o. 458,503, dated August25, 1891.

Application filed February 3, 1891. Serial No. 380,083. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAIAH H. SIMPSON, of Brunswick, in the county ofCumberland and State of Maine, have invented a new and Improved Devicefor Thawing Ice from Pipes, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved portabledevice for con- Veniently and rapidly thawing ice formed in water-pipes.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations ofthe same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improvement as applied, the frozenpipe being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of part ofthe improvement on the line :10 a: of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectionalside elevation of a modified form of the improvement.

The improved device for thawing ice from pipes is provided with asuitable pump A, mounted on a base B and operated by a handlever C,fulcrumed on a bracket erected on the said base. The pump A is connectedby a suction-hose D with a receptacle E, adapted to be set under the endof the pipe F from which the ice is to be thawed.

The pump A is provided with a dischargehose G, connected by a coupling Gwith one end H of a coil of pipe H, arranged within a hollow drum 1, asplainly shown in Fig. 2. The other end 1-1 of the coil of pipe ll passesonto the rim of the drum 1, is coiled thereon, the other end H beingadapted to be run off the said drum I and into the frozen pipe F. Thecoil of the pipe II, its ends 11 and H the coil H and the end H thusform a continuous pipe, of which the coil H and end II are formed of apliable metal-such as zinc, lead, &c.while the inner coil H ispreferably made of wrought-iron to withstand heat.

The drum I is provided on its ends with hollow trunnions l and 1 mountedto revolve in suit-able bearings formed on brackets 1 arranged on a baseI The drum is also provided with flanges 1 extending outward at the endsof the rim of the drum, the said flanges being provided with handles 1'for conveniently turning the said drum in: its bearings. The coupling Gpermits the end H of the coil of pipe H to revolve Without disconnectingthe pipes H and G, the lattcr being stationary.

Through the hollow trunnion Pof the drum I passes aconducting-pipe .T,extending at its inner end within the coilof pipe H, the outer end Jbeing bell-shaped, as plainly shown in Fig. 2. Into this bellshaped endJ passes the flame of a hydrocarbon-burner K, of any approvedconstruction, provided with the airpipe L and the oil-feed pipe N, ofwhich the latter leads to a reservoirO, containing in its lower part theoil. The upperpart of the reservoir 0 supports an air-receiver L,connected with pipe L and also connected by a pipe P with anair-compressor Q, connected with the lever C, so as to be simultaneouslyoperated with the pump A. The oil-feed pipe N is provided with a valveN,for regulating the quantity of oil passing from the reservoir 0 to thehydrocarbon-burner K.

The device is used as follows: The several parts of the device arearranged as shown in Fig. 1, thereccptacle E being placed under the endof the pipe F to be thawed. The end H" of the pipe H is unwound from thedrum I and passed into the frozen pipe F. The operator now manipulatesthe lever C, so as to actuate the pump and the compressor Q. The pump Adraws the water from the receptacle E and forces it through the hose Ginto the pipe H, and the air-compressor Q forces the air into theair-receiver L, from which the air passes to the hydrocarbon-burner K,in which the oil is drawn in from the reservoirO, and is atomized by thecompressed air. The atomized mixture of oil and air is ignited andpasses through the bell-shaped mouth J of the pipe J onto the coil ofpipe II and through the drum I, so that the water passing through thispipe is heated and finally passes in a heated state through the end Hinto the pipe F onto the ice therein. The ice is thus quickly melted bythe hot water and flows out with the hot water through the pipe 'F intothe receptacle E, which water is to be used over again. The waterreturning into the receptacle E is still warm, so that it requires but asmall amount of heat from the burner K to keep the water heated.

In case the device is used a long time the water in the receptacle E hasto be cooled by snow or ice, as otherwise the hose D and G would beinjured. Any length of pipe can be run over the drum I to pass thedesired distance into the pipe F. As coil part H is of pliable material,it readily follows the bends [O in the pipe being thawed in casethereare any.

As shown in Fig. 3, the pipe H is heated within aseparate shell Rinstead of within the drum I. In this case the hose G is connected withone end of the coil of pipe arranged within I :5 the shell R, the otherend H of the said pipe passing to an ordinary drum I, from which theextreme other end of the pipe H is withdrawn to pass into the pipe F.

- The hydrocarbon-burner K leads to the conducting-pipe J, whichdischarges into a vessel J, arranged in the bottom of the shell Runderneath the coil of pipe H. The upper end of the vessel J is providedwith an upwardly and outwardly extending annular flange, in which isfitted a conical disk J so as to form a burner with the said flange, thesaid disk screwing on a screw-rod J so as to regulate the size of theflame. This device is used in the same manner as the one above 0described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A device for thawingice from pipes, com- 3 5prising a pump, awater-receptacle connected therewith, a coil into whichthe pump discharges, having a pliable metallic pipe leading therefrom toenter the pipe to be operated on, and a burner for heating the coil,substantially as set forth.

2. Adevice for thawing ice from pipes, comprising a pliable metallicpipe adapted to be passed into the pipe to be thawed, a pump for forcingthe water through the pliable pipe, a

5 hydrocarbon-burner to heat the water in its passage from the pump tosaid pipe and having an oil-supply pipe and an air-compressor connectedwith it, and an operating-lever connected with said pump andair-compressor,

substantially as set forth.

3. In a device for thawing ice from pipes, the combination, with apliable metallic pipe formed with a coil of pipe and having its frontend adapted to be passed into the pipe to be thawed, of a pump connectedwith the rear end of said pipe, a hydrocarbon-burner adapted to heat thecoil in the said pipe, an oil-reservoir and an air-compressor connectedwith said burner, and means for operating said compressor simultaneouslywith operating the said pump, as set forth.

4. In a device for thawing ice from pipes, the combination, with apliable metallic pipe, of a pump connected with one end of said pipe,and a receptacle adapted to be set un-= der the pipe to be thawed togather the wa- .ter discharged from the said pipe and the water from thethawed ice, the said receptacle being connected with the said pump,substantially as shown and described.

5. In a device for thawing ice from pipes, the combination, with apliable metallic pipe, of a pump connected with one end of said pipe, areceptacle adapted to be set under the pipe to be thawed to gather thewater discharged from the said pipe and the water from the thawedice,the said receptacle being connected with the said pump, and ahydrocarbon-burner for heating a coil in the said pipe and fedsimultaneously with the operation of the said.pump,substantially asshown and described.

6. In a device for thawing ice from pipes, the combination, with ahollow drum mounted to rotate,of a pliable metallic pipe wound on thesaid drum and having part extending into the hollow space of the saiddrum to form a coil therein, and a hydrocarbon-burner for heating thecoil within the said drum, substantially as shown and described.

7. In a device for thawing ice from pipes, the combination, with ahollow drum mounted to rotate, of a pliable metallic pipe wound on thesaid drum and having part extending into the hollow space of the saiddrum to form a coil therein, a hydrocarbon-burner forheating the coilwithin the said drum, and a pump connected with one end of the saidpliable metallic pipe to force water through the same, substantially asshown and described.

8. In a device for thawing ice from pipes, the combination, with ahollow drum mounted to rotate, of a pliable metallic pipe wound on thesaid drum and having part extending into the hollow space of the saiddrum to form a coil therein, a hydrocarbon-burner for heating the coilwithin the said drum, a pump connected with one end of the said pliablemetallic pipe to force water through the same, a reservoir containingoil connected with the said hydrocarbon-burner, and an air-compressor tosupply the hydrocarbon-burner with compressed air, substantially asshown and described.

9. In a device for thawing ice from pipes, the combination,with ahollowdrum mounted to rotate, of a pliable metallic pipe wound on the saiddrum and having part extending into the hollow space of the said drum toform a coil therein, a hydrocarbon-burner for heating the coil withinthe said drum, a pump connected with one end of the said pliablemetallic pipe to force water through the same, a reservoir containingoil connected with the said hydrocarbon-burner, an air-compressor tosupply the hydrocarbonburner with compressed air, and a lever forsimultaneously operating the said pump and the said aircompressor,substantially as shown and described.

ISAIAH II. SIMPSON.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL B. DUNNING, DUDLEY E. CAMPBELL.

IIS

